The American Nightmare

From these readings, and the discussion in class we can see the great interest writers, photographers, artist and intellectuals had in the events surrounding them during the depression. They wanted to see first hand how, where, and why these people were one the move. They wanted to expose the truth about the American Dream, and what the impoverish thought about it. Traveling on the road in search of the answer to understand the hobo and poverty made me think of the book Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich. Barbara Ehrenreich is journalist who went undercover in the late 90s to better understand blue-collar work, poverty, and the American Dream. In Puzzled America Anderson wrote “I have been broke, and always, for some curious reason, I have always, when broke, been more alive to others, more aware of others.” (p.xiii) To truly understand the poor one must be one. Barbara Ehrenreich understood this, and to truly answer the American Dream questions she had to go undercover. Ehrenreich lived in trailer parks, worked for minimum wage, and worked multiple jobs, some at the same time. She worked side by side with the people she was studying never telling them who she was, or what she was doing. In some senses, her book disproved the American Dream. Ehrenreich proved that just because you work hard does not mean you can achieve great financial success and/or happiness. Ehrenreich also showed the lack of the faith or belief these workers had in the American Dream. Similarly, in Puzzled America Anderson writes about the two girls who have given up belief of God. Anderson shows that this disbelief is also in ones country, and in the American Dream “I want belief, some ground to stand on. I do not want government to go on just being a meaningless thing.” (p. xv) God, and the American Dream would give these girls comfort, but they know it’s unrealistic. The American dream was not achievable for most during the depression. The lack of the American Dream however, is not laid to rest after the great depression, even in the late 90s, a time when many considered our country to be in great economic place Barbara Ehrenreich proved the American Dream was still missing. Maybe people take to the road to find the dream. The dream was in New York for the European immigrants who travel across the ocean and it was out west during the gold rush. The dream drives people to travel, to but once they arrive they maybe surprised on the conditions they find.